Musical biographies may be common on the New York stages today, but it's
refreshing to see one that's admittedly fictional. A creative, original
musical, Jessie is an impressive alternative featuring an attractive score,
a strong design, and some solid performances - as well as one bona fide star
turn - in its 14-member cast.

This production, directed by Gretchen Weigel is moving and entertaining from
beginning to end, with almost no breaks in the action. The musical's book,
attributed solely to Kurta, is the weak point, all that prevents Jessie from
truly taking off. Not quite a book musical and not quite a concept musical,
Jessie never finds its legs while it finds its story and tries to
incorporate both styles with uneven - if never outright messy - results.

Further, the book is pretty standard stuff. Set in the 1970s, Jessie's book
focuses on a talented young woman, the Jessie of the title, who, with her
"soul brother" Ephram, gives up the world of soft religious rock and forms a
band that first takes the underground music world by storm, and then
conquers the mainstream arena as well. Predictably, fame comes with a
price: Jessie is not immune to the industry's rampant drug use, love
affairs come and go, and even death makes its sting felt... And so on. With
the characters' frequent ethereal references to the role music plays in
elevating our hearts and souls, Jessie preaches even as it grates as overly
familiar and clichéd.

Yet, when the characters stop speaking and start singing, it's difficult not
to be taken in. Tyme and Kurta's songs feel authentic, whether they are
performance numbers or character pieces. The music always stays within its
time period and cultural idiom, the lyrics a tribute to (and not a parody
of) the heartfelt music of the time. This makes all the songs pleasant to
hear and easy to relate to; even the hard rock songs are thoughtful and
highly accessible, if the lyrics are occasionally obscured by Josh Adler's
sometimes overwhelming - and overamplified - sound design. But, as a
character is just as likely to pull out an acoustic guitar and sing without
technological enhancement, it's hard to fault the music any way it's used
here.

The performers contribute a great deal to this as well, looking and sounding
decidedly period, with plenty of talent to go around, whether singing the
songs (under the musical direction of Elaina Cope) or doing the undulating
70s dances of Stefan Sittig. Lamonaca is a friendly, brotherly type with an
appealing light pop voice. Most of the other members of Jessie's band tend
to blend together. The one who comes closest to escaping anonymity is Tito,
the bass player with whom Jessie falls in love, played by Rik Sansone. But
the other performers, whether in the ensemble or in the band (playing their
own instruments) contribute well to the atmosphere of the show in both sight
and sound.

But it's Kerry Flanagan, in the title role, who makes the strongest
impression. Though laden with a massive singing task, featuring a seemingly
endless series of vocally and emotionally intense songs, Flanagan never
flags. She sounds great from the first moment to the last, and expertly
portrays the sympathetic woman courting fame and toeing the line between
childhood and adulthood.

Flanagan is an impressive talent, providing both the character and the show
with the warmth and dedication any great star must. She's probably the best
reason to see Jessie, but she's not the only one. Fans of this type of music
will find themselves right at home at the Chelsea Playhouse for the next
couple of weeks, and it's not hard to believe that Jessie - and Flanagan -
will have impressive lives after the run of the show is concluded.